Gov. Rick Snyder: 'I don't think having more guns is a good thing'

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder on Friday called for possibly restricting assault rifles or enacting “red flag” legislation to prevent school shootings, saying he’s had personal experience watching young people die in a shooting and hopes to work with lawmakers to enact new laws.

“I don’t think having more guns is a good thing,” Snyder said during the POLITICO State Solutions Conference in Washington. “We need to have a thoughtful dialogue.”

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Snyder struck a decidedly bipartisan tone two days after President Donald Trump floated the idea of arming some teachers so they can defend against school shootings. In the wake of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., that killed 17 people, lawmakers and the White House are facing renewed calls to take action addressing mass shootings.

Snyder, a moderate Republican who is prevented from seeking a third term as governor, professed the country is in “a very polarizing situation” on guns. He praised local lawmakers who are embarking on a “listening tour” of their state and said he’d like to work with the Michigan congressional delegation on some sort of “federal-state” solution.

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The issue, Snyder said, is personal: “I was part of a situation where there was a shooting, years and years ago when I was back in college,” Snyder said, making an apparent reference to a 1981 incident at the University of Michigan. “I was in college, and to see two fellow students be taken out in stretchers that died — that’s profound.”

“This is awful stuff. Let's address it in a thoughtful way,” Snyder added. He said there is “a real question” about whether people should be allowed to own assault weapons but added, “there are people who feel very strongly they should have the right to bear any arms.”

Snyder also said it’s “worth looking at” so-called “red flag” legislation that allows people to go through a procedure to prevent an unstable person from owning guns.

“That’s a tangible step I hope we all can agree on,” Snyder said. “If someone has clear mental health issues, they shouldn’t have a gun.”